Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Belo Horizonte Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Belo Horizonte

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,316 in Lisbon versus $949 in Belo Horizonte.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,361 in Lisbon versus $1,532 in Belo Horizonte.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,405 in Lisbon versus $2,115 in Belo Horizonte.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 144% more expensive than in Belo Horizonte, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 69% above, Belo Horizonte is 31% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.30 €14.87

$5.72 R$29.16

202.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.3 €54.4

$37.36 R$191

69.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.39 €9.79

$8.42 R$42.94

35.27%

Cappuccino

$3.19 €2.74

$2.19 R$11.18

45.66%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.45 €2.10

$1.31 R$6.71

87.02%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.76 €1.52

$0.80 R$4.06

120.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.59 €3.09

$2.01 R$10.24

78.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.39 €2.92

$3.45 R$17.61

-1.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.06

$0.95 R$4.84

30.53%

White Bread (500g)

$1.98 €1.71

$1.76 R$8.99

12.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.52 €1.31

$2.00 R$10.20

-24.00%

Eggs

$4.04 €3.47

$2.14 R$10.91

88.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.54 €11.64

$9.22 R$47.02

46.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.39 €7.21

$4.03 R$20.56

108.19%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.25 €15.69

$7.15 R$36.44

155.24%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 €1.97

$1.89 R$9.64

21.16%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 €1.50

$1.12 R$5.73

55.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.86 €1.60

$1.17 R$5.94

58.97%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.63 €2.26

$1.53 R$7.82

71.90%

Potato (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$1.10 R$5.59

74.55%

Onion (1kg)

$2.09 €1.80

$0.99 R$5.07

111.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 €1.24

$0.76 R$3.90

89.47%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.72

$0.88 R$4.51

-4.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.83

$2.38 R$12.15

184.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.71 €4.91

$7.89 R$40.23

-27.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.18

$1.33 R$6.78

3.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 €1.91

$2.64 R$13.48

-15.91%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.40 €2.06

$1.22 R$6.21

96.72%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.78 €40.22

$66.9 R$341

-30.02%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.17 €3.59

$0.99 R$5.03

321.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.14 €0.98

$0.69 R$3.53

65.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.68 €15.20

$6.40 R$32.64

176.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.32 €2.00

$1.27 R$6.47

82.68%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$35.3K €30.4K

$22.7K R$115.7K

55.82%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$41.4K €35.6K

$30.7K R$156.6K

34.94%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$170 €146

$74.0 R$377

130.30%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$19.34 €16.62

$10.56 R$53.8

83.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.64 €28.92

$20.64 R$105

62.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.10 €41.35

$26.81 R$137

79.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.90 €17.11

$44.51 R$227

-55.29%

Cinema Ticket

$9.92 €8.53

$7.77 R$39.61

27.67%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$717 €617

$447 R$2,280

60.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.5K €15.0K

$14.0K R$71.5K

24.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.1

$58.4 R$298

79.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.95 €40.36

$46.88 R$239

0.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €88.9

$100 R$511

3.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €107

$69.4 R$354

78.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,677 €1,441

$553 R$2,820

203.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,271 €1,093

$274 R$1,395

364.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,985 €2,566

$844 R$4,305

253.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,992 €1,713

$563 R$2,872

253.84%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,826 €6,728

$2,250 R$11.5K

247.86%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,658 €4,004

$1,078 R$5,499

331.96%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,583 €1,361

$594 R$3,028

166.61%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.79

11.25

-66.31%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Lisbon: August 30, 2026

Last update for Belo Horizonte: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,677 in Lisbon and $553 in Belo Horizonte. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 167% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $63.0 in Lisbon vs $37.00 in Belo Horizonte for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $283 vs $188 per month, with Belo Horizonte cheaper across the board.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Lisbon vs Belo Horizonte: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Belo Horizonte differ by about 144% in total monthly costs ($2,316 vs $949 including rent). Belo Horizonte is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 167% higher in Lisbon, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,677 in Lisbon versus $553 in Belo Horizonte. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $717 in Lisbon versus $447 in Belo Horizonte. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 50% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $949 in Belo Horizonte versus $2,316 in Lisbon, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Belo Horizonte but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Belo Horizonte the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Lisbon and Belo Horizonte are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Belo Horizonte gentler on the wallet – expenses run 144% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.